Why not give the gift of discipline?

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. \

Proverbs 22:6 (ESV)

By Bobby R. Henry, Sr.

For the past two days I have taken my granddaughter to school and witnessed a true testament to the proper educating and discipline of children.

I can testify to this because I, myself, was disciplined for not following the directions that had been outlined in advance for the proper development of the total child-I brought my granddaughter in late.

As I sat there at a table sized as it should be for pre-schoolers, I felt like I was the giant in the Gulliver’s Travels fairy tale.

The owner of the Red School, affectionately call Ms. Gwen, admonished me without hesitation or condensation.

In one breath of correction she disciplined me and at the same time did not miss a beat in her morning ritual of building her students self-esteem through reportorial responses of common courtesy.

It was the perfect mirror of what ‘ole school’ teaching was all about in preparing the students for the rest of the day.

This morning we were on time and it did my soul well to see the students ages 3-6 years old respond to the love and affection of which all were given in very large doses to encourage, uplift and promote unity throughout the entire school.

If you can, please call the Red School and ask to speak with Ms. Gwen and see if she would allow you to come visit her school.

We are often confronted with images and news reports of young people engaged in activities that destroy rather than build up. We forget rather quickly what children say and do, more often than not they have seen and heard it at home.

Children are natural born imitators and they are very, very good at it.

Sometimes we as parents get confused in applying discipline as oppose to punishment.

Both words can offer a subtle form for correcting inappropriate behaviors. However, when used in an ill-will manner, words can hurt deeper than many physical causes.

“Fathers, do not irritate and provoke your children to anger [do not exasperate them to resentment], but rear them [tenderly] in the training and discipline and the counsel and admonition of the Lord.” — Ephesians 6:4 (AMP)

There are times when children need to be touched with a gentle rod and this rod is one of discipline. “Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.” — Proverbs 13:24 ESV

Throughout the Bible corrections of wrongs were done with discipline as oppose to punishment. Perhaps this is so because the word has been attributed to “instructions given to a disciple” (from dictionary.com).

We all know how children who are not given any instructions or discipline repeatedly end up.

Now, since Christmas is the “time for giving”, how about giving our children some discipline wrapped in love for the best present ever.

“If you correct your children, they will bring you peace and happiness. “ Proverbs 29:17

“A cow gave birth to fire. She wanted to lick it, but it burned; she wanted to leave it, but she couldn’t because it was her own child. — Ethiopia Proverb

God’s gift to us are our children lets discipline them to be gifts to others.